VAUXHALL ASTRA SRi 2.0 TURBO 170
Dont Be Fooled By The Family-Friendly Five-Door Shape. The Astra SRi 2.0T 170 Is A Serious Drivers Car. Andy Enright Reports
You may have read one or two reviews of Vauxhalls latest Astra and wondered what all the fuss was about. Sure, the old model was a competent car but in order to lift it above the likes of the
Volkswagen Golf,
Renault Megane and
Ford Focus,
Vauxhall needed to make massive improvements. Surely that was beyond even a company with the financial might of General Motors? Think again. The new benchmark in this class is represented by cars like this Astra SRi 2.
0T, tested here in five-door 170bhp guise.
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Five-door is often industry shorthand for frumpy. Its what you choose when you know that your other half would kill you and youd be made to suffer guilt pangs every time the kids struggled to extricate themselves from the rear. Svelte shapes that designers pen in three door guise seem to metamorphose into lumpen waddling things when an extra set of doors is grafted on. The Astra doesnt subscribe to these rules.
Sure, the three-door version is the undoubted looker of the line up, but the five-door car is a very handsome car in its own right, especially when specified in SRi trim and the estate is none too shabby either. With lowered suspension, aggressive alloy wheels, a deeper front air dam and rear valance and an interior that features figure hugging seats, metallic trim and a steering wheel so chunky its like hefting a baseball bat at each bend in the road, the SRi looks the part. Whats even better is what lies beneath the stubby bonnet. The 170bhp turbocharged four-cylinder ECOTEC engine will punt this £17,495 Astra to 60mph in 8.
4 seconds on the way to a top speed of 135mph. If you want more, £18,445 buys you the 200bhp version of this car that makes sixty from rest in just 7.7 seconds.
"The five-door version is a very handsome car in its own right, especially when specified in SRi trim"
Even the 170bhp version however represents a good balance between hedonism and common sense, returning a relatively virtuous combined fuel economy figure of 31mpg. Marshalled by a six-speed gearbox, the forced induction powerplant majors on low end torque, the 184lb/ft being especially generous. By contrast, Fords old Focus ST170 which boasted the same power output could manage just 145lb/ft. This means that the Astra feels that much more muscular when accelerating out of tight corners or on uphill stretches.
Drive it back to back with the
Ford and youd swear the
Vauxhall was packing another 25bhp or so. Does it therefore need a six speed gearbox? Probably not, but the marketing men demand a sextet of cogs so in they go. The ride is a little firmer than you might expect given the warm hatch style performance figures and the rear end is particularly rigidly sprung. The Astra rides on what at first looks to be quite an outdated suspension setup.
In contrast to the sophisticated multi-link systems increasingly favoured by rivals, Vauxhall has instead plumped for a standard McPherson strut system up front and a simple torsion beam affair at the back, citing the advantages of compactness, low weight and high rigidity. One option that was fitted to our test car was IDS Plus, a system first seen on the Vectra and which makes its debut in the family hatch class. Interactive Driving System integrates all the driver aids such as Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, ABS, Braking Assistant and Continuous Damping Control. Press the Sport button on the fascia and IDS Plus not only stiffens the suspension but also sharpens the throttle response, quickens the reactions of the steering and, when combined with an automatic or Easytronic gearbox, raises the shift points higher for more aggressive driving.
During a simulated emergency lane change manoeuvre, the difference between normal and Sport setting was marked. Sport allows for a little more slip and slide before gathering everything back into line. Even the least skilled driver will be able to manhandle the steering in quite a brutal manner without fear of spinning the vehicle. At the extremes youll feel a little bit of kickback when the steering loads up but otherwise its a remarkable feat.
Although its a toss up between the Ford Focus and the
Volkswagen Golf as to which is the best handling car in this clkass, the Astra isnt far behind and is genuinely fun to drive. Its a little baffling at first how this Astra with its apparently rudimentary suspension layout can be so capable. Much of the credit goes to the sophistication of the driver aids. Unlike many such systems, the stability control program doesnt intervene with savage snatches of braking but its the clever way Vauxhall have tuned the suspension that gets much of the credit.
Thats not to say there hasnt been an element of compromise. A senior Vauxhall designer noted that if you can start with a compact rear suspension unit, a whole series of benefits stem forth. Rear passengers sit lower and the stylist can then pen a suitably sexy roofline instead of something that looks like a fenestrated panel van. The interior is a big step forward over the old car in terms of build quality and a lot of the rather clunky Vauxhall design language has been consigned to history.
Despite the metallic trim inserts and chrome ringed dials, its still not what youd call particularly stylish but it does feel solid. The rear seats are quite generously proportioned but the back doors are so tapered that when you stand by the side of the door to open them, the top corner tends to clout you in the chest if youre not paying close attention. This 170bhp 2.0-litre SRi sits near the top of the sporting Astra line up and its fair value at around £17,500.
True, the VXR three-door and SRi 200bhp versions go faster but this 170bhp 2.0T SRi deserves better than to be thought of as a stop gap model. Despite making great gains in terms of quality, driveability and design, the Astra is still a Vauxhall and as such will have difficulty converting those whose prime concern is a prestigious German badge on their bonnet. For everyone else not so concerned with snob value, its difficult to beat.
Right now at Ford there will be a whole lot of pencil sucking, chin stroking and head scratching.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Astra 2.0T SRi 170bhp five-door
PRICE: £17,495-£17,945 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 218g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 135mph / 0-60 8.4s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 31.4mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5-door hatch] Length/width/heightmm 4249/2030/1460mm
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